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[BattleTech] Death From Above! New starter boxes coming NOW FINALLY YAAAY

That style of quad (the only style available in the Armored Core games I played) was pretty much my favorite leg type because of how they worked. Always be strafing (quads in AC get great speed to weight ratios, and don't have to crouch to fire high recoil weapons) and firing your best weapon for the target type.

Leg types in AC (from memory)

Humanoid: run the gamut of lightweight runners to painfully slow super heavies, don't recall them having any special features, so pretty much the default against which the others are balanced

Avian: Only seemed to come in super light to middle-weight designs, may have had a bonus to acceleration or jumping? Didn't use them much

Quad: absurdly good weight cap vs speed ratios, didn't have to crouch for high recoil weapons (prefer shooting over missiles). The main downside is they had a large footprint that made some maps kind of tricky to navigate, and melee weapons didn't reach very far past your collision-detection (and in early AC melee was the only infinite-ammo attack; energy weapons had ammo limits, you just didn't have to pay to resupply). Also they peak out around the AC equivalent of 65 tons in Battletech weight classes.

Hover Skirts: were added in Master of Arena or AC2, IIRC. I never really played around with them so I don't know what their deal was, besides being a lighter counterpart to...

Treads: slow, unresponsive, can't use the jump-jet slot (have shitty built-in models, terrible for maps with a lot of verticality), but have ultra heavy weight capacity & armor, and also ignore recoil. Would offer a smaller target profile, but AC had a kind of auto-targeting/aim assist (you had a box you needed to keep your target within, and your FCS would do the actual aiming and leading; different FCS changed the effectiveness of said auto-targeting, lock-on time, lock-on range, and the proportions of your aim box). Most tread bases are long, narrow, and low to the ground, which makes melee really awkward.

Speaking of new sculpts! Our intrepid adventurer @DaMoonRulz successfully navigated the sanity-damaging locale that was the Gen Con Vendor Floor, and returned with treasures in hand!

And now they're in my hands! And assembled!

The new Classic Valkyrie and Wasp sculpts are really good! They're a bit chunky for a 20 tonner and a 30 tonner, but regardless I love them.

I'm hoping that these models are prototype or first-run casts though; there's some molding issues on both, mostly in the crotch-al region. It's not enough to detract from the overall look, but it makes the hip-thigh joints look a bit rough. Also, the Valk has a really pain-in-the-butt joint between the torso and hips, because the top of the right thigh impinges on the space the torso wants to sit on. The arms are also a little bit odd, in that you really only have a couple of reasonable poses, so both of my models have the "running man" look. On the plus side, the shoulder joints on both models are pretty good; no pins were required on the Valk (though a bit of trimming and drilling was required), and I only pinned the Wasp arms because I have a mania about such things.

I do think it's funny that both have a RA-mounted ML, and yet the Valk's looks like it could be a PPC. Which is fine, because I think one of the later models actually mounts an LPPC instead of the ML. :shrug:

Even with all that, 10 out of 10, would buy again. Now on to the paint booth! Thanks again, DaMoon!

Nips on August 2018

+8

BetsuniInsert Disk 4 and Press Any Key to ContinueRegistered Userregular

It was pretty funny, I was at my local GW chatting with the manager about how excited I am about Adeptus Titanicus, and how I love giant robots. And he gave me a little smile. Working at GW he's not really allowed to talk about other systems on the clock but he said, "I've loved giant robots since 3025." And gave me a knowing nod.

Also, I learned via the Facebook thread that there's *literally* no 3rd party plastic miniature manufacturers left in the US, leaving everyone (not just CGL) with going overseas, or fronting the substantial up-front cost to self-produce. Ouch.

0

BetsuniInsert Disk 4 and Press Any Key to ContinueRegistered Userregular

Warlord and Renedra are both UK outfits. Wargames Factory is based in the U.S., but their web page is down and their last Facebook post was from 2015. So I think the sentiment that "US plastic hobby miniature manufacturing does not exist" is starting to feel pretty apt to me. Doing some more searching, it certainly looks like there are plastic injection mold manufacturers around, but none of it services the hobby industry.

Which is super sad to me! I have nothing against manufacturing overseas generally, but if the market is so tight that an entire sector of US manufacturers can't or won't produce for it...ouch.

Personally, I'd probably go into the spin-cast metal business first, similar to Iron Wind, simply because the startup cost is finance-able by regular humans.

*I kid you not, though; I definitely see one potential future me, starting and working some sort of hobby-industry business. Just don't ask me what yet, cause Present Day Nips has no clue what that is.

Y'know, I keep looking at CAV figures, and I can't put my finger on why they don't excite me. There's just something about their designs. Boring? I'm not even sure that's the right word for the feeling.

"The Echo Lance of the Oosik Irregulars First Battalion, Second Company, purports to be a retired 'Second Line' unit of the scurrilous mercenary unit that destroyed the HPG relay on Talisker. However, our data analysis shows significant involvement of the lance in numerous battles marked from the end of the Second Succession Wars, through the Clan Invasion, to even this day in 3057. How these pilots, or even if it is these same pilots, could operate for this long in the field remains a mystery to this office."

“In truth, it seems this lance mounts equipment on-par (arguably) with our ComGuard 'Mechs, augmented in ways that can only be termed as “wildly unusual”. The lance frequently is deployed in a mid-range fire support role, only closing distances when dictated by the unit's strange tactical doctrines. Thus, opponents must beware 'rushing the rear line' when the Echo Lance is deployed, as the lance is arguably more dangerous up close than at traditional fire-support ranges.”

“The Stalker piloted by the MechWarrior called 'Bolthorn' is a workhorse machine, equipped to last long after most opponents have run their ammo store dry. Mounting six Large Lasers and maximal armor, Bolthorn is frequently found using a 'Peek and Poke' position, leveraging cover to strike with a pinpoint fusillade of the laser array, to then retreat behind terrain to allow for cooling and cooldowns. It is described in after-action reports that Bolthorn's precision with these lasers, almost preternaturally, is focused together on weak segments of opposing targets. This of course leads to maximal salvage for the Oosik's recovery crews. A Beagle Active Probe rounds out the refit, allowing Bolthorn to 'sensor sniff' any incoming low-profile threats. Prior to the widespread use of Star League era technology, the firepower of Bolthorn's Stalker was reduced but no less a threat: four Large Lasers, matched with a pair of Medium Lasers, and augmented by significant heatsinks makes this custom design dangerous to any opponent.”

“The MechWarrior named 'Tigliss' pilots a heavily-customized Catapult, based on the C1 variant. Replacing the bulky LRM launchers with a pair of compact SRM-6 racks, this tuned variant upgrades two of the lasers to Large models. This matches well with the Stalker in the lance, and allows for Tigliss to 'hose down' with short-ranged missiles any low-profile threats that happen too close to the lance's position. Of particular note, and danger to opponents, is the design's superior cooling: every weapon system can be fired at maximum cycle with no impact to the 'Mech's internal temperatures, so long as it holds position. This will be seen as a recurring theme on many of the Oosik's custom designs, and should be taken under consideration when bringing hot-running 'Mechs to bear against the lance. Also noteworthy: Tigliss's 'Mech is jump-capable, and is fully capable of jet-flanking opponents that approach too closely. Prior to the introduction of Double Heatsinks, this 'Mech's design is catalogued with one less Large Laser and no jump jets, due to the increased weight of heat sinks required to keep the design cool.”

“MechWarrior Konphujun (phonetically, 'kən-ˈfyü-zhən') chose what looks like a largely stock Hunchback to be part of Echo Lance, but for one drastic change: in place of the typical Autocannon, the 'Mech instead mounts a 'liberated' (read: stolen) Norse-Storm M-7D Gauss Rifle. Matched with paired Medium Pulse Lasers for backup, Konphujun has an unparalleled track record with this refit loadout. Capable of striking targets beyond the range of anything else in the lance, the Gauss Rifle is a devastating weapon at almost every range bracket. In the hands of a savvy sharpshooter such as Konphujun, the full potential of the weapon is realized. Though the markings on the 'Mech indicate only ten 'Mech kills, it is well known by ComStar intelligence that this is a feint; the number of battlefield kills logged by our agents alone numbers in the high thirties. In eras before the Gauss Rifle was available even as a prototype, the 'Mech mounts a hard-hitting Autocannon/10 in its place.”

“Anchoring the Oosik's Echo Lance is the veteran pilot 'TOGSolid' piloting what to ROM has become an ongoing mystery in 'Mech design. Though TOGSolid's 'Mech is recognizably a Mauler by modern standards, excepting its modifications, there are reports of appearances of this 'Mech on the battlefields of the Inner Sphere as early as 3022. This is, of course, impossible as the Mauler was only first deployed in 3048. The history of TOGSolid's preferred machine, rumored among the seedier dive bars in the Vega Prefecture, is that it originally started out its existence as a Linesman, later refit into a Daboku, and then extensively reworked into the semi-recognizable form of the Mauler. This is also impossible, as the Linesman project never passed the design phase and the 'Mech was never manufactured.
Nevertheless, the 'Mech does exist, and TOGSolid's track record has the victories to prove it. In what is a radical departure from the stock MAL-2R design, TOGSolid chose to remove the LRM racks and low-caliber autocannons, and Oosik Technicians extensively refit this volume of the 'Mech to mount, in the pilot's words, 'more dakka'. A quartet of Ultra-class Autocannon/5s is capable of putting forth a withering volume of weapons fire, backed with a frankly obscene amount of ammunition. At full tilt, barring weapon jams, the 'Mech is capable of firing downrange for a solid three minutes forty-five seconds without pausing before the ammo is depleted. Backing this wall of weapons fire is a pair of ER Medium Lasers, mounted in the arms, and enough Double Heatsinks to cover all weapons fire and movement. Before the advent of Ultra-class autocannons, TOGSolid's Mauler (née Daboku) fit a quad of Defiance Type J Autocannon/5's, with similarly downgraded lasers and heatsinks.”

“All told, the Echo Lance is rated as a Significant Threat, according to ROM's calculations. It is only the 'semi-retired' status of the pilots that keeps the Oosik Irregulars from deploying this lance more readily.”

Thanks! It only took me......*looks at the calendar*......six and a half months to finish. Oy. A lot of that was eaten up by Being A Parent time, and not having the mojo to paint. But I'm back on that horse, and I'm galloping awfully fast now. I keep looking at Camospecs, and saying to myself "I could do that". I'm super pumped to work on some more models, and now I'm just waiting for the new box sets to land. Hopefully soon!

Also, working through the maths on this lance, it gave me the idea to compile the entire Oosik Battalion record sheets, and give them all Level 1, Level 2, and Clan-tech variants. Along with generating Alpha Strike cards for them.

...I may be developing a problem.

Nips on October 2018

+4

BetsuniInsert Disk 4 and Press Any Key to ContinueRegistered Userregular

I love the theme you gave them and the stories. Together they make a really great read... Which makes me think you should gather all of this up after you are down and make a book of it (like the old scenario packs). Like this that I have.

I love the theme you gave them and the stories. Together they make a really great read... Which makes me think you should gather all of this up after you are down and make a book of it (like the old scenario packs). Like this that I have.

And what makes you think I'm not already trotting down that path? ;)

+2

BetsuniInsert Disk 4 and Press Any Key to ContinueRegistered Userregular

Y'know, I keep looking at CAV figures, and I can't put my finger on why they don't excite me. There's just something about their designs. Boring? I'm not even sure that's the right word for the feeling.

There are no fists to speak of, which simply will not do for pilots of culture. Gun arms cannot get you to Punch Town. Battletech is a setting of class where gentlemanly fisticuffs were simply not big enough to deal with the outrage of political backstabbing. Bigger fists needed to be engineered to accurately communicate your displeasure to those that have chosen a path that crosses you. At last, you can claim your satisfaction the way Nature intended: with giant mechanical fingers.

Y'know, I keep looking at CAV figures, and I can't put my finger on why they don't excite me. There's just something about their designs. Boring? I'm not even sure that's the right word for the feeling.

There are no fists to speak of, which simply will not do for pilots of culture. Gun arms cannot get you to Punch Town. Battletech is a setting of class where gentlemanly fisticuffs were simply not big enough to deal with the outrage of political backstabbing. Bigger fists needed to be engineered to accurately communicate your displeasure to those that have chosen a path that crosses you. At last, you can claim your satisfaction the way Nature intended: with giant mechanical fingers.

Really, the biggest failing of gun arms isn't in their inability to punch, or to wave obscene gestures towards the cockpit of a defeated foe (it's hard to flip someone off with the barrel of a gun, but you can mostly get the point across with suggestive barrel thrusting), but the inability to hoist a mech sized tankard of your favorite alcoholic beverage to drown your own cockpit in order to celebrate a hard earned victory is, simply put, an unforgivable design flaw.